That Collection of 100 Lazy Drabbles
by DiamondRainbows
Summary: "All love that has not friendship for its base is like a mansion built upon the sand." - Ella Wheeler Wilcox. 100 drabbles - GrayZa. Side pairings may be included (ex: Nalu, GaLe). Rating due to possible language and mature themes.
1. Day 1 - FIRST SET: START

**Starting a new story? Me? Well, procrastination is one of my many aliases. **

***ahem* So I'm probably going to split this story into five blocks. I've already written 20 drabbles so far, so 80 more to go. That's 4 twenties to go. Every time I hit the next mark, I'll take a break until I have the next 20 written down. All the drabbles have themes in them. Some will be angsty, many will be cute. Tons of these are super short. **

**I'll update this every couple of days.**

**Discaimer- Don't own Fairy Tail.**

Day 1: Beginnings

To Erza, the Tower of Heaven was no place for childhood. It wreaked of abuse, regret, and constant struggle. Slavery was no way for a child to live. It was not a place to start her life.

Erza was never sure what to think once she came to Fairy Tail. All she knew was that she had to find a place to train herself. She never expected to begin in Fairy Tail, though.

But she didn't regret it.

And she surely could never thank enough the person who made it all happen. He practically thrust her into the guild as a real member. A nakama. He was a person she cared about very deeply.

And when Erza told Gray about this, he chuckled in slight embarrassment.

But he couldn't deny the truth of it.


	2. Day 2

Day 2: Spell

It was just a spell. It was just a damn bloody spell.

Gray Fullbuster, renowned Ice Mage of Fairy Tail, sat in his seat at the table, doing his best not to burst into flames.

How was it his fault that that old lady cast an enchantment on him as a reward for his mission?

How was it his fault that in the next 48 hours, all he could see was the last person he thought of last night?

How was it his fault that that person happened to be Erza Scarlet herself?

He couldn't even tell which one was the genuine. Not that he was looking for the genuine, but there was no way he'd want to talk to Bixlow or Elfman the way he talked to Erza.

Once he found the real Erza, he hung around her for the rest of the time of the potion.

It was just a spell. But damn, Gray didn't mind it too much.

**Another tiny-ass drabble for you~ Review? :3**


	3. Day 3

Day 3: Woods

Erza and Gray, a young Erza and Gray, that is, found themselves somewhat lost in the woods. Both knew wandering around wouldn't help matters, but as if they had anything better to do, right?

Scarlet braided hair swished around the shrubbery until she came across an interesting sight.

"Gray... Look over here." She motioned to the young ice Mage to look at the tree. Pinned to it were two beaten pictures, one of Erza, and one of Gray. Etched above the pictures were their corresponding names. Gray traced his fingers on the messy circle drawn around the entire thing.

Erza laughed. "It probably isn't too hard to guess who did this, huh?" She asked, while leaning on Gray's shoulder.

Gray rolled his eyes. "Flame-brain idiot."

A snap of a camera turned their heads to what was behind them, being a devil-faced Mirajane.

"So. Gonna. Use. This." She bluntly commented, then left the two to their protests.

**I almost forgot to post one today XD Wooow...**

**Anyways! Review, ne?  
**


	4. Day 4

Day 4: Dark

The great Titania Erza was hardly afraid of anything. She faced many challenges with a cool and levelheaded demeanor.

The last thing she thought she'd be afraid of was the dark.

This enemy she faced... They did not use eye magic, or it wouldn't have worked on her. No, this must've been something internal. As if they were forcing her brain to create these images.

It was pitch black all around her. Erza could see nothing. But she could sense it... And whatever was hidden in the shadows made her heart stop and her stomach sink to the floor.

Every past, every pain, every bit of torture and negative feeling was suddenly hurled right into Titania's face, and all she could do was scream in response. The thoughts poisoned her body: her voice grew hoarse, she felt her stomach contents rise, her head felt like it was cracked open.

Gray had never heard Erza scream like that before. He never thought she could omit a sound like that. It was like seeing your mother cry, or witnessing the Master losing to someone. It curdled his blood, and his senses spiked.

Erza had never received such panic before. No matter how tight her eyes clenched, the images would not go away. She was just about ready to start bawling right there on the cold, solid rock ground.

As she laid, shivering and screaming on the ground in fetal position, Erza could detect faint footsteps coming her way. They seemed to be from the real world, not something her brain created.

Muscular arms encircled her torso and brought her up to his chest. "G-Gray..." She managed to word. She knew it was him.

"Shh... He's gone now. Let's go home."


	5. Day 5

**The Occasional Disclaimer- DR doesn't own Fairy Tail**

Day 5: Wish

Gray Fullbuster wasn't the kind of guy to go make wishes on stars or something like that. He didn't believe it could happen.

"Gray, didn't you ever want to wish on a star?" Lucy asked.

He rolled his eyes. Knowing that Lucy was a Stellar Spirit Mage, naturally she would be into the whole star business.

"I don't believe in it, Lucy."

"Don't believe in what, Gray?" Erza asked as she walked by their table.

Gray looked up and smirked at the scarlet-headed mage's questioning face. "Wishing on a star," he leaned his elbow on the table and continued to look (stare) at Erza.

"What's the point of wishing for something you want when in the end, all you have to do is get it yourself?"

**Whoo~ Getting updates in before going to school -w-**


	6. Day 6

**Hueheeheeheheue I love Juvia XDDD**

Day 6: Potion

Juvia skipped to the guild, floating on cloud nine.

"With this potion, Gray-sama is sure to pay attention to Juvia!" She whispered excitedly to herself. The bluenette held a box, and in it was a slice of pumpkin pie holding the potion. The pie was bought last minute from a popular pastry shop. Juvia was sure she couldn't lose.

Once she made it inside the guild, Juvia noticed a few regular members: Levy, Gajeel, Lily, Max, Laki, Warren, Wacaba and Macao.

Mirajane greeted her as she wiped the glasses. "Hello, Juvia! Looking for someone?" She winked.

The Water Mage sputtered and the steam from her blush began to rise. A certain Requip Mage walked by at that time, and noticed them.

"Ah, hello," Erza said. She looked down at the box in Juvia's hands and gasped. "S-Sweet..." She mumbled. Lily noticed the scarlet woman drooling, too.

Ever so discreetly and driven by her craving, Erza snuck into the box to have some of the pie. Juvia, too distracted by thoughts of Gray, did not notice.

A burp and a sigh brought Juvia back down to earth, and boy did she shriek when she noticed Erza on the ground rubbing her stomach.

Later, Gray finally walked into the guild after eating breakfast with Natsu and Lucy (at the latter's place, naturally). He choked up at the sight of the place.

Erza's face was flushed, as if she were drunk. She was also latched onto someone's ankles, namely Juvia, who stared down at the Requip Mage in fear and horror.

"E-Erza-san, let go of me please!"

"Juvia-chan! Please forgive me for eating your pie! I have disappointed you!"

Gray assumed Erza just wasn't herself, and tried to stay out of it. That was, until he saw Erza latch onto her prey (Juvia) and capture her in a bear hug. Gray's hormones could take no more.

He would have to ask Juvia how she got Erza to do that (he kind of wanted to see it again).

**Here's something a bit longer! They can actually get pretty long; it depends on the idea I have.**


	7. Day 7

Day 7: Element

An eleven year old Erza Scarlet sat at her place at the bar. She stared at the ice slushee in front of her; poking it with a plastic spoon.

She was thinking of Gray. And she was also thinking of the first time she saw him fight using his magic.

It was mesmerizing; his magic captured her heart's attention. They were out on a mission in the mountains. The abundance of snow proved to be a match for the unprepared Erza, and the cold froze her toes and hands. Too cold to move, she felt helpless as Gray took care of most of the work.

After the mission, she had angrily asked him how he survived it up there (and in his underwear, too!).

He replied, "It's my magic, Erza. I was in my own element up there. The training I went through..."

Erza couldn't just take that. She hated weaknesses. She also hated depending on Gray like that. She wanted to fight beside him on that mountain. The Mage wanted to help out.

She wanted to see more of that ice magic.

In a way, Erza wanted to get closer to Gray, as well. In his own element.

**This is kind of bad but whatever have a nice day _**


	8. Day 8

**Another update day! Hey, prepare yourselves for Thursday, which is also Valentine's! I'm gonna do a double update for you :3 Make sure to review?**

Day 8: Spirit

There was one point in her life when Erza was dead. A ghost. A spirit.

Of course, this was all an image created in her subconscious.

Still, the things she saw and the feelings she felt continued to shake her. When she saw the reactions her friends and fellow mages had to her death, Erza could hardly think of them the same. Most of all, it was difficult to see him...

...to see Gray, quietly mourning her death, appearing as if he had given up and lost faith.

Erza didn't really know what to expect from Gray if she had died. Obviously she was disappointed; Erza had higher expectations. Erza didn't like feeling like this. It made her think she was acting like an attention seeking whore. In that dream, Erza wanted to scream, kick, and cry at Gray. She wanted to get so angry. But, her pride and grief prevented her.

It was only later did she realize her unrequited love. Erza Scarlet continued to hate being a spirit. It confined her from doing things she wanted to do, even if she would regret it later.


	9. Day 9

**Happy Valentine's day and your Double-Update day :D Funny how the day this chapter is updated falls on Valentine's... anyways, here they are!**

**The Occasional Disclaimer- I don't own Fairy Tail.**

Day 9: Fear

There was no doubt in anyone's mind that most everyone feared Erza. Even Gildarts was wary of her, especially if he acted the wrong way around her.

For a very large portion of his life, Gray Fullbuster feared the mighty Titania.

Yet, after everything that has passed in his life, Gray began to feel less and less of that fear, and more rebellion. He challenged Erza. He didn't want to seem like a small bug next to Queen of the Fairies anymore.

Most of all, Gray wanted him and Erza together, side by side. He refused to let that fear get in the way of it.

One day, Gray knew, he would fight Erza again. When that day would come, he'd be ready.

Gray will look Erza Scarlet in the eye and no longer fear her.

That was a promise.


	10. Day 10

Day 10: Winter

Erza stood at the edge of the frozen mirror, staring at her own anticipated reflection. She had requipped into winter attire: fur coat, gloves, earmuffs, and ice skates. It was a winter day in Magnolia, and the perfect time for Fairy Tail to cause some ruckus. Mira, Lisanna, Elfman, Gajeel and Lily, and the Raijinshu decided to hike out. Shadow Gear, Natsu, Happy, and Lucy went snowboarding. Juvia, at first wanting to be with Gray, was dragged along to have a girls' day shopping in the other towns with Laki, Wendy and Carla, and Cana (Cana having harshly warned her overprotective father to bother someone else, preferably Laxus).

Erza had nothing to do, and with most of the guild gone, she was left alone. That was, until Gray had invited her to go ice skating with him. In a fit of social awkwardness (and blushing anticipation- Gray was stripping, _again_) the scarlet headed Mage (forcefully) invited two unlucky others: Max and Warren.

"I-I can't believe we were dragged along as the third wheel..." Max grumbled, staring at Erza and Gray opposite the frozen lake. Warren nodded, rubbing his temple.

"If we stick around too long, we'll make things weird for them," Warren explained. "Plus, if word gets around, Mira's never gonna stop until she chokes us for details. We have to leave as soon as they're distracted." Max nodded. Neither of them wished to go against Erza, but this was something they _really_ did not want to be a part of.

Meanwhile, Gray was soon beginning to realize that Erza had only ice skated a few times, and lacked enough skill to skate on a natural rink.

"I'm sorry, I should have told you before I accepted..." Erza sighed.

Gray shook his head. "It's fine, really. I just wanted you to have a good time today. We can do something e-" Gray began to walk back, but he was yanked by the collar by his fellow team member.

"Gray, I want to learn. Can you teach me?" Erza looked at Gray, eyes large and figurative tail wagging behind her. Gray rubbed his chin. Sure, he was taught to ice skate by Ul, but it came so naturally to him that he wasn't sure whether or not he could teach Erza.

Still, why not give it a shot? "Sure." Gray replied. Erza nodded, attempting to calm her quickening breath. What was so frightening it made her heart skip a full set of beats? Titania could not figure it out, so she attempted to ignore it for the time being.

Gray got his skates ready. "First, I'll demonstrate." He checked the frozen pond by taking a few strides. The ice was a bit rough, as it was natural. "Hm... It probably isn't safe enough for a beginner. I'll take care of it." He used his Ice Make magic to refreeze the pond and make it much smoother for the knight.

Gray motioned for Erza to come on the ice. He noticed that she was comically braiding her hair to keep herself distracted (she was rather good at it, he also noted). He chuckled. "You're funny. Come on, Erza! Don't be shy, this is _my_ magic you're skating on."

Luckily, Erza's past experiences with testing out ice skating had given her the luxury of being balanced on ice, and she ever-so-carefully walked over to Gray. Erza's hand immediately latched onto Gray's arm, and that motion made both of their cheeks warm up.

"J-Just show me already, Gray."

"Hahaha, okay. Just be patient. We've got all day to ice skate." Gray said slowly, then smirked.

Warren and Max huddled further away, out of sight from the scarlet woman's eyes. They watched the couple in wonder.

"Good job, Gray." Warren muttered and posed a thumbs-up.

Max rolled his eyes, but he also kept his eyes on them. They looked like they were having fun, even if Erza tripped and fell every five minutes. Gray was always there to catch her.

Max crossed his arms and said, "I have to say, I'm almost jealous of their bond."

Warren smirked and choked up a laugh. "Not as jealous as Juvia's gonna be, if she hears about this."

**Happy Double Update Valentine's 3**


	11. Day 11

**I started to watch Psycho-Pass, it's pretty good! Thanks Cait~ And Cuticle Tantei is weird...**

**Anyways! Enjoy the chapter!**

Day 11: Rain

Mira, Juvia, Erza, Levy, and Bisca huddled in Lucy's apartment as part of their "surprise girls night".

Levy stretched out on the beanbags provided. "I wish Cana and Wendy could've come~"

Bisca took a swig of the apple cider Mira brought. "Apparently she had some training with Gildarts to take care of. I haven't heard from Wendy since she went out on that mission yesterday. Guess she's been busy with that."

Lucy sighed after finishing her hair brushing, and went to go sit by the other girls. "Guess they'll be missing a ton of fun, then!" She raised her arms up and cheered with the other girls.

Juvia grabbed her second piece of pizza with enthusiasm. All the other girls relished in the water Mage's actions. It was always adorable to see a friend enjoy themselves so adorably.

Erza dried the last bit of her hair from bathing (at Lucy's apartment, of course; it was so nice!) and looked to Mira along with the other girls for what to do. She always seemed the most femininely mature of the girls, even if her love life was never mentioned.

"So, what's the game tonight, Mira?" Bisca asked.

Mira's reaction was priceless. It was her most devious smile yet, and her eyes seemed to spark and she laughed, probably some sort of inside joke.

She cleared her throat. "This one was suggested by Lisanna, who was disappointed she couldn't make it because of her part time job. It's called 'Deepest Desire'~"

The other girls' gasped. Another game to spill the dirt, they thought.

"Typical Mira." Levy whispered into Juvia's ear.

Mira stood up to announce the rules: "In this game, the person spins the bottle. Whoever it lands on, they have to spill their deepest desire. If they refuse, a dare! If the person thinks they're lying, the victim has to do a dance of the person's choice." The girls gulped. What a girls' night...

After a few rounds, Bisca admitted to wanting to date Alzack, Lucy was dared to prank call Natsu, and Erza and Juvia each revealed their own desires (one of them less willing than the other).

Erza spun the bottle, and it landed on Mira herself. A dark, sadistic smirk appeared on the knight's face, and a shiver rolled down each of their spines.

Mira, however, seemed to be prepared. "My greatest desire? To have a passionate kiss in the rain," that earned some questionable looks. "Rain makes everything so much more romantic, you know?" Imaginative hearts flew around Mira's head.

Juvia felt uncomfortable. From her experiences, rain had set a barrier around her and her loved ones. Never was she so relieved since Gray had helped rid her of her clouds. Opening herself up to others made it easier.

Erza stared at Juvia, reading the various expressions on her face. She knew a girl talk would be in order.

Later that night, Juvia awoke for a midnight stroll to get some fresh air. Outside, Erza waited for her.

"Juvia." Erza greeted. The water girl stared in shock, suddenly feeling embarrassed around the S-class Mage.

"J-Juvia was just taking a walk!" She stumbled her words, making them nearly unintelligible. Luckily, Erza could understand.

"It's okay. I just wanted to talk. Is it fine?" Erza looked at her fellow nakama innocently, which only weighted Juvia's guilt. The rain woman complied.

"...That rain comment Mira made. I noticed your discomfort." Erza, as usual, bluntly got to the point.

"J-Juvia disagrees with that statement. Rain has only hidden Juvia from love. Rain is Juvia's... armor." She put it that way to make Erza understand. She felt the woman next to her tense up. Juvia wanted to apologize for offending her, but Erza beat her to the line.

"No... Juvia, you're strong. You know what you want. You know what you want to protect. You, Juvia, are an impressive opponent. I could never comp-"

Juvia got nervous about all the praise, but she did NOT want Erza to complete that sentence. "Erza-san is strong! She is an S-Class Mage! She can do things Juvia cannot even fathom!"

A lone tear rolled down the flushed cheek of Titania.

Juvia gaped. She had only seen Erza cry at the Tower of Heaven, what...?

"Rain is your armor, huh? Looks like it left you. Left you bare and open, and you're still okay. You're exposed to others without a rift between you and them. You're strong. Who got rid of the rain for you again?" Erza's tear-stained eye took a peek at the rain woman from behind her hand.

"G-Gray-sama..." Juvia mumbled, for some reason feeling ashamed. She had no clue why.

Erza laughed. It sounded rather forced when mixed with her salty tears, but Erza could not help it. "Of course it's you, Gray..."

The bluenette looked questioningly at her. "'Of course'? What does Erza-san mean?"

This time, Erza removed the hand covering her face. Wet lashes, puffed cheeks, and clouded eyes were revealed to Juvia. "Once upon a time, a girl with an eyepatch escaped slavery. She came to a certain guild to become a Mage. Once she came there, a wall had already formed between her and the others. It was her armor, her protection from feeling pain all over again when she still couldn't get over losing her old friends.

She met a boy. He was rather obnoxious and his ego was overwhelming. Every day, he'd come to challenge that girl. He was beaten every time. Then, one day, that boy saw it. He saw her without her armor. He saw the salty grief and regret in tears. That boy saw past her armor, and taught her the importance of nakama.

...That was Gray."

That night, Juvia went back to bed with muddling thoughts. She caught a glimpse of Erza- the one without her shell. Juvia did not know how close those two- Gray and Erza -were. She realized that Gray had touched the heart of another girl.

Except this time, Juvia felt no jealously or raging possessiveness.

Honestly, she admired the feelings between them. Would Juvia truly find someone like that?

Gray had gotten past Erza's veil of "rain" and helped make her a better person.

When would she find the one who would love her without her "armor" on?


	12. Day 12

Day 12: Clouds

A blonde head turned towards the sky, and when seeing the dark mounds of cotton littering the blue space, she began to feel a slight sense of dread.

"Natsu... Are you sure it's safe to go hiking?" Her worried brown eyes peered at the boy eating breakfast at her table.

He stared back, swallowed the piece of food in his mouth, and replied, "It'll be fine, Lucy! A couple of clouds can't stop Team Natsu!" She rolled her eyes and closed the blinds. The Mage slid off her bed and tried to ease the discomfort in her heart.

But, with Natsu around, Lucy could forget about her worries and just let loose.

Gray was irritated. Irritated at Natsu, for his bad timing, irritated at Lucy for being easily swayed, irritated at the weather for making it cloudy...

But most of all, Gray Fullbuster was irritated at the fact that it got dark so quickly that he got separated from the others. By chance, he met Erza who was also wandering, and she forced him to spend the night in the mountains because they'd just get even more lost if they kept walking.

So there he was, sitting under a tree, with Erza Scarlet next to him.

"Damn, why are we stuck here?" He grumbled. Erza chuckled.

"There's nothing to see anyway. It's already so dark. I'm surprised it hasn't rained. Juvia must be in a good mood." Erza stated optimistically. Gray rolled his eyes and tried to get comfortable on the trunk.

"It's so uncomfortable... Why a tree?" He looked to the Requip Mage next to him.

She shrugged. "Closest shelter I could find. Are you complaining, Gray?" She muttered the last part ominously.

Gray shook his head, a bit nervous but mostly indifferent. "...Never mind."

Erza turned to look at the space before them again. "I wonder what the other half of our team is doing?"

'Probably sucking on each others faces... Poor Happy.' Gray thought.

Erza's eyes suddenly widened with shock. "Oh! Wait-!" She stood up.

"Erza...?"

Titania requipped into... A bed?!

Literally, she was wrapped in blankets along with a large pillow.

"What do you use this for? Putting enemies to nap time?" He joked.

Erza plopped down and set the large pillow between them. She motioned for Gray to move, and by the end of it, Erza and Gray found themselves sleeping next to each other under the tree.

Gray couldn't fight the redness on his cheeks at "sleeping" with Erza. Seeing her content, sleeping face was not helping anything at all.

He didn't know whether or not to be relieved or disappointed when Natsu and the others found them the next day


	13. Day 13

Day 13: Snow

Thirteen year old Erza Scarlet stared out the window of the guild. It was a snow day in the city of Magnolia, and most of the guild members took advantage of this to let loose and have some fun outdoors. For Gray and Natsu, this involved having competitions in the cold weather.

Erza groaned at their idiocy. Natsu just got his tongue stuck on a pole, and Gray was pulling every joke in the book. The scarlet girl would _never_ understand guys.

Just as she was about to give up on watching them to do something more useful with her time, she witnessed out of the corner of her eye, a little boy, probably around four years old crying. When looking more closely, Erza saw it was because his toy horse broke right in half on the icy brick road.

"Where's his parents...?" Erza wondered to herself.

Gray saw the boy, too, and left Natsu to his own situation to attend to the boy. When seeing this, Erza became immediately interested, and watched them from above.

Gray looked down at the boy, and made what looked like a sympathetic look. He made a flat palm and a fist on his hand, and mist began to form.

"Is that a magic circle? What's he doing?" She was leaned up right against the window by then.

When Gray released his fist, what was left there was an ice statue of a horse. Of course, it wasn't perfect, but the boy was enchanted by the light and colors bouncing off of it, and gladly took it from the offering hand of the Ice Make Mage.

Erza sat there, mesmerized by the sight. Her eyes seemed to glaze over, and a light flush appeared on her cheeks. This was a side of Gray that Erza didn't see much.

Mirajane sauntered over to Erza, interested in what was making her face all pink. "What's up with you, Scarlet?"

Looking out the window, Mira widened her eyes when she saw Gray there with a smiling little boy. A devilish smile appeared on her face.

"So~ The mighty Erza Scarlet has a cr- OOF!" Mira was cut off by a fist to her stomach, and there began another of their fights they'd forget about later.

'I DON'T have a crush on him...! I-It must've been the snow...'

**Just a** **quick update** **before I have to go! Review~**


	14. Day 14

**This is actually pretty crappy. In my opinion, at least. Well, have a nice day~ Review, please?**

Day 14: Trapped

Now _this_... This was something neither Erza nor Gray could simply ignore.

In the past, sure, they've been in... "compromising situations"... But, they could always ignore the sexual innuendo and take it innocently. This time, neither could do anything about their situation.

Erza was stuck in Lucy's shower. In her towel.

Gray was stuck in the bathroom that had the shower. He was missing everything but underwear.

Best part? Lucy's shower was a sliding door, no curtains. The fog on the glass could barely hide her indecent form. Gray did his best to look away, but a mirror still revealed to him the scarlet haired woman in less than even her most revealing armor. The steam was teasing him by hiding certain parts of her womanly figure.

Erza thought she would've felt comfortable, seeing as she used to take baths together with Gray and Natsu, but... They were _alone_. And it was _silent_. And damn it, shirtless Gray sweating in the heat of the shower was NOT something she could handle.

"Are you _sure_ the door is stuck?" Erza asked again. Gray jiggled the doorknob.

"I've tried, Erza. Why can't you get out of your own shower?"

"The thing won't move! I've tried breaking it down, but it's like this place is cursed or something..." She angrily grumbled.

Erza and Gray did their best to keep to themselves, but their eyes would occasionally skim across the other, causing their already beet-red faces to morph into shades darker than imaginable.

'I hope this steam lasts until Lucy starts looking for Erza..." Gray thought.

He turned again and caught Erza making something like a confused face. "What?!" He didn't like the way she started at him, making those sounds... "Jiiii~"

"...Why did you strip when you knew you were coming in here?" Erza scrunched her eyebrows, suspicious of Gray.

Meanwhile, Gray jumped and realized he actually did that. 'Why...?!' He wondered.

Instead of answering, he dodged the question by retorting, "Well, why didn't you just Requip into something else than a towel?"

This time, Erza fidgeted. "Right now... This towel is the most covering of the outfits I have right now!" She covered her face in self shame. Gray almost fell off the toilet.

Well, the towel was rather long, just touching the top of Erza's knees, covering her-

'Whoa there, Fullbuster. We're crawling into dangerous territory..." He cut his thoughts off there and tried to concentrate on something else, like his Ice Make magic.

Erza stared at Gray's fiddling hands. They were large, much larger than hers. The callouses ran along his slender fingers. Erza never really studied Gray's hands before. She guessed it was just because there wasn't much to do at the moment. Still, why know of all times when she felt so conscious? Admiring his hands only worsened the situation.

A green-haired man stood outside Lucy's apartment next to a small bluenette. They watched (with a couple of smug grins on their faces) the purple symbols flicker in a box shape around a certain part of her apartment.


	15. Day 15

Day 15: Knife

Gray had never felt so... hopeless before. He's fought so many fierce opponents in the past. Gray has been in binds tighter than a snake wrap. He's been against more odds than he could count.

But this was the largest.

First of all, he was up to his shoulders in turf. Gray's muscles were like lead; all he could do was witness the horrors occurring around him.

Lucy's shrieks rattled the castle in which they were trapped. Her air supply was being cut off in a room, but what was worse was that she also was witnessing Natsu's torture.

Natsu was being whipped to death by masked men. Each snap of the leathery weapon brought on a new cut, and a fresh layer of bloody skin and muscle underneath. Natsu was doing his best to hold out, but Gray knew it would never last for long.

Lastly, Erza.

Her clothes were already charred off from the blasts of magic from before. All that was left was her skirt and now-midriff top. She was tied to a table, and another masked person was sharpening their knives and humming contentedly. It fucking disgusted him.

Oh, how Gray wanted, needed, urged to stop the man. He would do anything, even give up a leg. Unfortunately, it could never happen. Gray would suffocate in the ground while Erza endured her torture.

The masked being began. With psychotic, choked cackling, they marked scars all over her exposed body, forcing out her bloodcurdling screams of terror and pain.

Seeing this, Gray tried to move his arms again, to find some sort of strength, but it was as if he was being held down by an anchor. Every time he struggled, he only sunk faster. He couldn't save her.

_Again._

"ERZAA!" He yelled out as the knife kept going back and back again against her skin, until it was patterned like a quilt with bloody lines.

Gray's heart ripped open and released all hope when they broke deep in Erza's skin.

After that, it was all a blur to his last regretful breath.

**Well. _Someone _asked if I was going to torture Erza.**

**I warned you. So would you review?  
**


	16. Day 16

Day 16: Blood

The muddy ground molded between their bare toes and reached underneath the nails. Erza's arms were wrapped around the bare-chested body of one exhausted Gray Fullbuster. They ventured through Tenroujima Island together to get back to the others.

The two were mostly quiet during their walk, but no doubt their minds flooded with questions.

Erza looked at Gray's arms. They seemed beat up for the most part, but the Requip Mage couldn't help but notice the rose-colored stains on his skin.

"Gray... Is that... blood?" She murmured, but Erza already knew the answer to that.

The man looked at the ground as they walked. Erza mentally sighed. She knew these opponents were tough, but it was a lot of blood.

"I was hoping it would've all washed off..."

"You can't hide anything from me, Gray." She stared down at Gray's dark blue eyes, building up the intensity of the scene.

If this was a different situation, Gray might've blushed. Instead, he felt shamed for making Erza concerned.

"It was a risk I had to take. To beat her."

Erza greatly respected Gray. She could trust him with her very fate.

Still... The fact that he would go so far as to spill blood filled her heart with dread.

**We're getting close to the end of the first block~ At 20 I'll take a break to finish 21-40. **

**Anyways, review, ne?~**


	17. Day 17

**Werp.**

Day 17: Twisted

"She's insane."

"She's got a sick view of the world."

"Why?"

Elfman Strauss was currently grinding his teeth. When he was asked by his sisters to babysit, he thought they meant Asuka, or Wendy or something. Nope; unfortunately, in this case, "babysitting" was more like "disaster prevention".

The disaster to prevent? Destruction of Magnolia City by none other than Natsu Dragneel and Gray Fullbuster. Elfman stretched out his arms. 'Why did she send me to make sure Natsu and Gray don't kill each other? Why did she even send them to go shopping together?'

Elfman caught up with the two arguing males to ask them just this.

Natsu answered first. "Team Natsu is having a party. We have to get gifts for the girls, so we asked Mira what Erza and Lucy liked," he shrugged.

Gray continued, "She got this weird look in her eyes, and the next thing we knew, we're being ushered out the door by your sister. Honestly, that woman..."

Elfman was going to get restless soon, he knew. So, to quicken this shopping day, he decided to literally drag both males to the mall before it got too serious.

Elfman ran a hand through his spiky white hair. Natsu was still looking for a gift for Lucy, and Gray was stuck on Erza's gift.

He seriously would've thought the two knew the most about their teammates. Obviously not.

"Well, what would Erza like?"

"..."

"Natsu, don't you know Lucy?"

"…"

Elfman felt like blowing up then. "…grrrr….. A REAL MAN WOULD KNOW WHAT TO GET THEIR NAKAMA!" He roared, and punched both mages on the head.

The two boys rubbed their heads and hung them down, avoiding Elfman's enraged eyes.

"Keep thinking! There's always something you can look for!" The muscled man paused for a moment. "We're not leaving until you guys finish getting your presents!" He added for good measure.

Both parties groaned; neither wanted to spend more time with the other. They knew if they prolonged the shopping trip it would only be worse, so getting the presents as quickly as possible was their best way out.

"Hmmm…"

Later that night, Elfman was finally able to go home after all the trouble he went through with Gray and Natsu. He wanted to get away from the craziness of Fairy Tail for tonight so he could rest up for more tomorrow. Waiting by the gates of their house was Mirajane, who sported a waiting smile.

"Welcome home, Elfman." Mira greeted him. "How was it?"

Elfman cracked his back and tousled his white hair. "Exhausting. But Gray managed to get his present for Erza, and Natsu for Lucy. Took 'em a hell of a long time, though."

Mirajane laughed very softly. "If it took them that long, they must think of them pretty highly. Gray and Natsu wouldn't just spend hours together for any girl looking for a present, you know. They put a lot of thought into it, I'm sure."


	18. Day 18

**Disclaimer- I don't own Fairy Tail.**

Day 18: Falling

No one knew exactly how it happened. All they knew is that one day, everything began to blow up. Fairy Tail fell apart.

It was probably the war.

After losing Happy, Natsu disappeared from the guild. He confined himself to his home, doing god-knows-what. Lucy went insane trying to get him back. After months of trying to bring a smile back to his face, the blonde had given up. She left Magnolia, saying she can't go back without sobbing at the sight.

Romeo lost his life as well. Macao resorted to drinking and getting into fights with everyone he tried talking to. Neither Cana, Mirajane, or Wakaba could help him. Wakaba got into a big fight with the old man, and they never spoke again.

Levy lost Jet and Droy. It was disheartening to see Shadow Gear stripped down to one member. Gajeel tried talking to her, but she snapped at him and stormed off. Levy absorbed herself in books after that, and wouldn't even look at the Iron Dragon Slayer.

Erza turned her head to the doors, which were opened to reveal a fully dressed Gray, who seemed out of breath from running. No one was in the guild except Erza, Mirajane, and Reedus.

"What the hell are you doing, Gray? You look tired." Erza asked, staring at him observantly.

Erza knew about how ever since things began to break, Gray attempted relentlessly to fix things. She wasn't really sure why. The scarlet-haired woman always expected him to break away like the rest.

"I think I have an idea to help get Natsu and the others back!" He shouted. A deadly silence followed afterwards. Mira, who looked interested, quickly reverted back to her passive state. Reedus continued to paint. What exactly he was painting, no one knew. He became very possessive of his paintings recently.

Meanwhile, Erza gave Gray a hard look. Almost every week, Gray would travel out and try to lighten things up. Frankly, it got on Erza's nerves. She couldn't deal with the frustration much longer. "_Gray. Just stop it. I don't know why you're doing this, but it's pointless."_

"No it's not, Erza! This is Fairy Tail! You can't just give up, Titania!" Gray yelled back at her.

Erza flared up. No going back now. She picked up her glass and aimed for the Ice Mage's head. He dodged, but it provoked him. "Shut up, Gray! _Don't call me that_. Fairy Tail is long gone. Live with it or get out." Erza was now right in Gray's face.

The buzzing silence following these events told the unspoken truth.

No one in Fairy Tail was like how they used to be. Everything had changed with the war.

Gray punched the table. The nearly-empty glasses shook along with it.

"Gray! Be careful with those!" Mira scolded him.

The Ice Mage seethed. This was not the Erza he knew.

Erza's face darkened, despite feeling the need to break down and sob. She didn't want to break the façade in front of Gray. It would only worsen things. No matter what, Erza had to push him away. She didn't want him sulking around, wasting his life trying to rebuild something that could never be recovered.

So, the scarlet-haired woman held her ground. When he finally left clenching his fist, Erza sank to the chair. Her face burned; her heart burst. The burning tears didn't help at all. Before she let out a waterfall in front of the other two, Erza left the guild as well.

Reedus set down the paintbrush and stepped back to look at the canvas on the easel. The skinny man then sighed and said,

"You can always find what you have lost. But trying to mend something that has fallen apart—like a broken heart—is nearly impossible."


	19. Day 19

Day 19: Evanesce

It's been about nine years since she had left this world.

It's never easy to just let go of someone you loved so much, you know? You just can't let all the bits and pieces dissipate away into oblivion. You keep them close to you so you never forget. You're scared to forget. When you lose a person close to you like I have, making them a part of the past, a part of history, it's so unreal and you just can't let it happen. Why would I want someone who meant the world to me just disappear like that?

I can't let their pieces go because if I forgot about them one day—it's like admitting that they never were that important to you at all.

I understand if you feel that way, because I did, too. For the first four years after her death, I couldn't forget. I was pretty much obsessed with it. Every little piece of her I could remember, I remembered. Every reminder of her I kept close to me.

But if I didn't let go of her eventually… I'd be the one evanescing.

Five years ago, I was pulled back into reality. _She _would never want me wasting away like this. _She_ would never let herself become so weak.

Every year, on the anniversary of her death, we'd all go to a certain hill right above a particular river.

Once night approaches, we light fifty blue paper lanterns and release them into the sky. Then, we take flowers of _her_ color, one hundred flower petals, and throw them into the lit night sky. Some get carried away by the wind. Others sink into the river to be carried away to an unknown plane.

With those flower petals dissipates the obsessive reminders that I have held dear to me; things that remind me of her.

I watch them gradually leave my care to vanish from my sight.

This does not mean that I have forgotten her. Memories like the taste of her lips and the curve of her back I can still recall extremely well. It is these that I treasure the most, for they richen my senses until my soul burns and my heart aches.

This may seem like such brutal attacks on oneself, but, for me, they're much more. The fact that I can still feel such things tells me that the feelings I had can never just evanesce into the distance. It tells me that a very large part of my heart still rings just for her.

Nine years after her death, I, Gray Fullbuster, can still say with utmost confidence that Erza Scarlet is still a large part of my life, and that I am still very deeply in love with her.

**You might as well call me Sadistic Author-san for writing too many sad things... why did I write so much, though?! I'm more of a fluff/crack kind of person... hnnngggg **

**I only got a few reviews last chapter... well, I won't complain. I guess the daily demands of life are already too hectic ^^;**

**Thanks to TFOP for making me angsty =) **


	20. Day 20 - FIRST SET: END

Day 20: Mind

"Um… Levy-san… what are you doing?" Lucy asked immediately when she stumbled on into Levy's room at Fairy Hills.

The bluenette was poised in the middle of the room; all furniture and books moved aside. She sat cross-legged on a mat while holding her hands loose to the side. Lucy could detect her stable, controlled, deep breathing and her relaxed, closed eyes.

Levy hummed before replying. "Meditation. Lily-san told me it helps to soothe your muscles and clear your head."

"Oh, really? I didn't know Pantherlily knew something like that!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Shh! I need to concentrate." Levy interjected. Lucy quietly apologized and kept her mouth shut. Still, she came to the Solid Script Mage's room for a reason.

"Ah, Levy, Gajeel told me—"

All of a sudden, Levy burst out shouting, "SHH! DON'T SAY THAT NAME!"

"Why?"

"…I need to concentrate, remember?"

"It doesn't look like you are anymore, Levy. Your face is going pink~"

"N-No it's not!"

"You're so cute, Levy! You're stuttering!" Lucy teased. "It wouldn't happen to be because of Gajeel, would it?"

Levy was silent; Lucy hit the nail on the head.

After that, Levy had no choice but to explain how she couldn't focus on missions because she kept thinking about Gajeel after that dangerous mission he just went on. Levy inconspicuously asked Lily for help with calming herself, and received the meditation advice.

"Does it really help loosen you up? I feel like I need a break from Natsu and the other one sometimes…"

"It _was_ working, until you had to go mention his name… now I feel like running a mile to let off some steam…" Levy confessed. Lucy rubbed her neck and apologized for ruining it for her.

After the awkward silence settled, Erza came rushing in. Her face was completely red and she was completely out of breath.

"Wh-What's going on with you, Erza?" Lucy questioned with an incredulous look.

The woman looked up at a concerned Levy and Lucy. She then whined and kept her head hidden down. "I-I just need to cool off for a second."

Levy and Lucy looked at each other with mischievous smiles. "Who was it, Erza? What did you do?"

"…IT'S COMPLETELY HIS FAULT!"

After some persuasion, Lucy and Levy had Erza practice meditation with them to clear her mind. During it, the two decided to gossip while their redhead friend chose peace.

"Who do you think it was?"

"I don't know… Maybe Gra—"

Poor Levy never saw it coming when Erza slammed her into the wall; again.

**So! This is the last drabble for the block~ I'm going to be taking a two-week hiatus to finish up 21-40. I still have about... 9 and a half more drabbles to write. Some of them are actually long 0.0;; **

**So! It would be a good time to review, please? I'd love to hear some feedback for the first set! Anything else I need to say...? Oh! tfop likes it like this, apparently. tfoptfoptfop t-fop lolol. **

**I'll see you guys in a couple of weeks then! Please stick with me until the fated day arrives ^w^**


	21. Day 21 - SECOND SET: START

**I'm so sorry! I posted the wrong chapter (thank you sarah) Here's the REAL chapter. Lol how anticlimactic. Anyways, my updates will be a bit slower for this. Not done with this set yet ;w;**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Fairy Tail.**

Day 21: Music

"…A party?_!_" The blonde haired mage exclaimed. Her reaction was caused by what the Master announced.

The short old man elaborated. "For all guilds participating in the Grand Magic Games, there's some kind of party going on, apparently mandatory, too. Every member of the team has to come, and guild members are invited."

Cana, Levy, and Lucy's eyes sparkled.

"A little dancing, some drinks, and music to set the mood… Sounds fun!" Natsu reasoned with a rising, excited tone.

Gajeel snorted. "Sounds like more of a load of fucking crap."

. . .

Natsu and Gray pulled at their popped, white collars, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the change in outfits. It was a formal party, Makarov later stated with a sly smirk. It only got the girls even more excited to dress up (except Cana, who had originally planned going in her usual outfit).

It was some sort of large ballroom with all the works: chandeliers, grand staircases, and even a stage for live music. Something like this was definitely not what the rowdy Fairy Tail had expected. Lucy just sighed at the familiarity of it all; seeing something like this made her go back to her childhood.

Quickly, all the guilds filled in, and after some introductions, the party began.

Basically all of the Blue Pegasus men began to group with some women from Mermaid Heel, making very awkward reverse harems. Kagura and Millianna managed to escape that fate, and chose to lounge around with some light drinks.

Quatro Puppy, naturally, stuck by the bar. Cana and Bacchus were at it again—a drinking contest—as the woman was determined for revenge. Elfman and Mira cheered the card mage on, with Evergreen hanging around (most likely she wanted to dance with Elfman).

Most of the time, Lamia Scale and Fairy Tail were the only ones speaking to each other. Sabertooth kept to themselves. Lyon managed to start up a very interesting conversation with Juvia about who-knows-what, while Gray just did his best to ignore them. Natsu kept whining about how he wanted to get out of the tight button-downs and start a real party, but Lucy held him by the ear, literally.

No one saw any members of Raven Tail, except for the curvaceous Flare Corona (in a shocking purple halter dress) and the odd and sadistic Kurohebi (who wore somewhat of a formal outfit, if you looked hard enough, you could see his tight leggings if his pant leg rised up high enough. Everyone stayed wary of their presence.

However, Flare seemed to ignore the stares and made her way to where Lucy stood, and shyly greeted her. Lucy, a bit shocked, was thankful for the gesture, and gleefully reciprocated it.

"When did you get so comfy with Flare?" A curious Salamander asked. Lucy just blushed.

Gajeel, Laxus, Levy, and Lisanna sat by the stage, talking about the music. They all knew Gajeel wanted to perform, so they tried urging him on. Even Lily flew over to push him onto the stage.

All of a sudden, Levy and Lisanna felt a tall figure brooding above them. Once they froze, the voice spoke, "What's going on here?" A chilling voice questioned. The two girls slowly turned their heads around to find the one and only Kurohebi.

Horror filled Levy's face, and Lisanna swallowed a scream. The two were on their own, as Lily, Gajeel, and Laxus went to get ready for his performance.

Lisanna managed to calm down first to reply. "They're going to do a performance." Kurohebi's black voids seemed to stare into Lisanna's soul, and her heart seemed to stop beating at the intense moment. His thin mouth seemed to curve upward even further.

"Eh? Rea~lly…" After what seemed like a lifetime, Kurohebi finally looked away from the youngest Strauss, but he stayed next to them, watching the stage.

Erza sat in a chair, furiously attempting to stab the strawberry on the plate on her lap. It was so adorably frustrating, and all the more amusing for a certain exhibitionist/Ice Mage.

"!... Strawberry…!" Erza Scarlet continued to scold a strawberry. Gray decided that enough was enough, and coolly strode over with his hands in his pockets. He looked down upon Titania, and gave her a teasing smirk. Erza, continuing her childish act, glared up at Gray and pouted by puffing up her cheeks.

Gray did his best not to blush, but to no avail. Nothing flew past the mighty Erza Scarlet.

Erza's posture changed: she sat straight up in her chair and crossed her legs. Her arms folded under her chest, and she looked Gray right in the eyes. "_You_ get me the strawberry, then… Gray-_sama_." The scarlet mage mocked.

Well, Gray had no retort to that, so all he could do was give her what she wanted.

Later on, Gajeel finally got his time to shine. With a chair placed meticulously in the center of the stage, the man now sporting a white tuxedo and stunning triangular-shaped sunglasses made his way towards the spotlight. Levy's eyes seemed to get brighter, to which Lisanna would've commented on, if not for Kurohebi still hanging around.

A dark blue guitar began the slow, seemingly romantic song. While Gajeel's voice wasn't the best, it was the soothing chords that kept the tomatoes from being tossed.

Before long, couples started to dance together. Evergreen dragged Elfman out first. Then came the engaged Ren and Sherry, along with a blushing Toby holding Chelia's hand. Levy quickly became occupied with a persistent Eve, and Lisanna waved her good luck, even if she needed it more with Kurohebi's soulless eyes boring into her head.

Lucy blushed hard when she finally worked up the courage to bring Natsu to the dance floor. Lyon graciously asked Juvia to be his dance partner, and within a second of her agreement, the Ice Mage carried her out with the others.

A buzzed Cana and Bacchus found themselves stumbling towards the others. Laxus made sure they stayed in one piece.

Erza and Gray still sat next to each other; the feeding of the strawberry instigated a conversation between the two. Eventually, however, Mirajane managed to force them on the dance floor.

The two intertwined their fingers of one hand, and Gray rest his other palm on Erza's hip while she rested hers on his muscular shoulder. A glow of warmth resonated from the contact, and each party's tense feelings were finally released. In each other's arms, Erza and Gray were completely comfortable.

Most likely, it was the music. It set the mood of the room as romantic. Erza doubted they got this close since they raided Phantom Lord. It was calming to feel his heartbeat—she could easily match it to hers. They didn't move around too much; a few swift turns and small steps. It was peaceful.

Meanwhile, the other members started to get upset with Sabertooth's lack of participation. Rogue was hiding somewhere, Sting was bunched up in a corner, and Minerva spoke with Rufus and Orga only. While the others both feared and respected Sabertooth (to an extent for some), they felt like they needed to liven up the downers of the party.

Cana, Bacchus, and Laxus were the first to begin planning. Gajeel's song finished and a faster, partner-changing song began to play. Word quickly got around about the plan, and preparations were already made by the time the next song began.

One by one, five select people started to dance closer and closer to where Sabertooth hid until the signal was made.

First was Hibiki. The flirtatious man took the liberty of stealing away Minerva at lightning speed. Before the others could get away, Mira grabbed Orga, Arania Web from Mermaid Heel took Rufus, Flare pulled the other "Blondie" into the ring, and somehow Lisanna pushed Rogue out into the light.

"What do you think you're doing to me?"

"Ah, Minerva-san, you have a tough bite~"

"W-Wait—"

"Spin, Orga!"

"I believe I have seen you somewhere before?"

"That charm's not gonna work on me, Lohr."

"What the hell?_!_"

"Just shut up, other blondie, and loosen up!"

"…Let go."

"I just spend almost all the party being stared down by a black snake guy. Sorry, but _please deal with it_~"


	22. Day 22

Day 22: Spring

They say spring is the season of new beginnings: love, work, family, etc.

Erza Scarlet hated spring.

To her, it was all a lie. The saturated green of the endless hills of grass, the bareness of the light blue sky, the drifting scent of fresh dew on small flowers… it seemed so surreal to Erza.

All she could remember was the black fog that burned her tears. All she could hear were screams, wails, and sirens. All she could see were explosions of fire with a murderous intent.

When she found the body, all Erza could feel was sorrow darkening over her soul—causing her numbness in every inch of her body and mind.

Gray Fullbuster's life had ended in the springtime.

So had Erza's happiness.

**Welp here ya go~ Review!**


	23. Day 23

Day 23: Flowers

One of Gray's solo missions brought him to the guild, Lamia Scale. He didn't bother to quarrel with Lyon, as his muscles and mind called out for some rest. That didn't stop the other Ice Mage from sauntering over there with a charming smile and a couple of glasses.

Lyon sat himself next to Gray on the couch and offered the drink. He slowly took it and decided it was good enough to consume.

"So, how are things going over in Fairy Tail?" Lyon asked, to start up a conversation.

Gray shrugged. "Same as usual. Natsu wreckin' stuff. I doubt you want to hear about _him_, though." From the corner of his eye, Gray gave a flustered Lyon a coy look.

"She's doing fine. She's probably going to be an S-Class Mage as soon as we have the next test."

Lyon nodded; a bit too quickly. "I should catch up to her and become an S-Class Mage myself, then!"

Gray, a bit more lively, smirked at his rival. "Not before me you're not." Then, he playfully gave him a punch. Lyon decided to just laugh it off for now.

"How about you?"

"What?"

Lyon rolled his eyes at Gray's overwhelming density. "Anyone special?" To that, Gray had no response. The silver-haired mage thinned his eyes in suspicion.

"Have you told her yet?"

"I didn't say anything!"

"I _know_, Fullbuster." Gray cussed under his breath. Why did Lyon have to be so perceptive now of all times?

"…No. I haven't."

"You should tell her then!"

"It isn't that easy!"

"It's _never _easy with women, Gray." Lyon pointed out.

Gray rubbed his tired eyes. "Look, even if I could, how the hell would I do it?"

To answer his question, Lyon brought out a small book—no bigger than his hand—from his pocket. He held it up, and Gray read the title as "The Language of Flowers".

"What the fu—"

Lyon interjected, "Flowers are always a nice thing to give, but if this girl is smart, she'd go and find the meaning of them all. This is how you tell her."

Gray wished he could blast Lyon with an ice ball right then and there, because damn it, he was pretty smart sometimes.

**Just find the right flowers, Gray. Your feelings cannot go unnoticed~ So, here's my Happy Easter present to you all! And if you don't celebrate it, well, then have an update! Hopefully it's good for you~~~~ **

**And wow, the manga has gotten interesting! I can't wait to see more (grayza) /shot**

**Dezz is out :D**


	24. Day 24

**I guess I just wanted to update. **

Day 24: Dew

For her, it was weird to see her long-time dorm room in Fairy Hills so bland. Boxes containing her belongings were the only thing in the room. It filled her with a strange sense of nostalgia, and cold feet.

Today, the 26 year old would move in with her long-time boyfriend and fellow team member.

Erza already began to feel the sloshing in her stomach with each step of her journey. Insecurities were already eating at her—would it work out? How long would they love each other? Forever? Could this really lead to...

"Shut up, Scarlet. You're better than that," She said out loud to herself. "I know I love him…" The Requip Mage subconsciously held something like clothing to her chest. It smelled very old and worn, but she could swear she could detect some reminder of her past in it.

"Curious…" She murmured to herself, and took a closer look at the article of clothing she held so close. Upon further inspection, she realized that it was a small, dark blue t-shirt. It definitely wasn't something Erza would normally wear, so the idea of it being around her room was… odd.

She wanted to remember what happened, and so, she did.

_Sixteen years old. Usually when someone is sixteen, they have a thirst to experience so many things that are exotic to them. They have a passion for the unruly, and an attraction to the rebellious. They're wild. They _live. _At sixteen, pressure begins to deteriorate your health. Teenagers live to release that pressure._

_Erza Scarlet had none of those comforts. She was a serious, levelheaded mage. She had expectations to meet. Everywhere she went, they would go, "Look, it's Erza Scarlet. Yeah, she's the S-Class Mage. She was only fifteen…" After she completed the S-Class Exam, the stereotype was set, and the Titania Erza Scarlet was created._

_There was only one boy who ever questioned this. Fifteen years old at the time, and a natural rebel in the world, especially when it came to his tendency to discard clothing and cause a mess fighting his main rival, one Natsu Dragneel._

_Gray had known Erza for a long time. He's seen what she was, what she is, and what she will be. Still, this boy believed in freedom and release. Erza was being held down in his eyes, and Gray felt it necessary to let her live._

_It was an early morning, and Erza Scarlet was already out and about taking her morning rounds around Magnolia. She had already begun to feel a sense of responsibility for the town, which made it much harder for Gray._

_Speaking of the exhibitionist, he was currently laid down on a bed of fresh morning grass with a sprinkle of dew. The droplets of water rubbed with the grass and the dirt left a permanent mark on his shirt. His eyes were glazed over with sleep, but he was still partially conscious. Gray shifted in his spot to turn on his side, where he could see an incoming Erza Scarlet in (surprisingly) her day clothes, the armor she normally wore was removed. Erza was wearing a knee-length dark blue skirt and a striped, long-sleeved shirt. Her one long, thin braid stayed the same, but Gray personally thought she looked better than usual. _

_As per usual to Gray's teenage recklessness, he paid no mind to the dangers of calling out to Erza while she was on a strict schedule, and pretty much demanded to come over. Erza tightened her eyes at the sight of him, but she let it go and paid his request._

_"Yes, Gray?" She stood in front of the sleepy teen, blocking his view of the river below them. It was so cold that you could still see fog when you exhaled, and the Ice Mage did just that after she came. Erza became quickly exasperated. "What did you want, Fullbuster?"_

_"Whoa there, _Titania_, I'll get to that in a minute. Can't you enjoy the stillness right now?" Gray mocked, using her nickname. Erza scrunched her eyebrows._

_"What do you mean stillness?" _

_"Ever just stopped, Erza? Have you ever just stopped to realize you're rushing to the adult world without a chance for the air to reach your lungs, for the smells to tickle your nose, for the silence to unclog your ears?"_

_"Wh-What—"_

_"No. You haven't. So…" Gray began to strip off his shirt. "I'm going to get you moving again." Gray Fullbuster threw his dew-stained, cold shirt onto Erza Scarlet's face. Her anger was no longer containable. Gray was busy getting a head start in the chase while she ripped his shirt off herself. _

_After what seemed like miles of running and breathless taunting mostly from Gray, the two finally decided to stop somewhere in a meadow on the outskirts of Magnolia. Gray was between laughing and catching his breath, and Erza just kept heaving her chest, but she seemed much calmer. _

_"So, Erza, are you free yet?" Gray turned his head upwards to see Erza's head right across from his as he laid down. Erza met his gaze with the same maneuver. _

_The hands that were laid side by side subconsciously reached for the palm of the other, transferring their warmth and compassion. _

_Erza released a deep sigh and closed her eyes. "I'm getting there… but I might need some help." With that, she completely fell comfortable to the ground, but without losing her hold on Gray's hand. She took in the feel of the crisp morning air, the sounds of small bugs flitting by, and the dew that moistened her backside. Most of all, Erza took the time to remember the comforting feel of Gray's hand: how warm it was, how large and safe it felt, and how he was using it to squeeze her hand as tightly as she was to his._

_That morning, Titania of Fairy Tail did not exist. There was just a girl and a boy bathing in the morning dew._

"Erza? Erza!" Knocking on the door shook the twenty-six year-old to her senses. She looked up, and immediately knew it was her boyfriend. She smiled.

"Everything will be okay," She whispered.


	25. Day 25

Day 25: Windows

Yukino was visiting the guild a lot these days. Ever since the conclusion of the Grand Magic Games, she's been a bit lost, and Mira and Lisanna refused to abandon her. Master's offered her tons of invitations to the guild, but she just turns them down and says she's happy with being a visitor (even if Kinana is always letting her help out at the bar).

That day was just like any other. Yukino didn't want any food, she just sat there and stared at the doors. I took another swig of the beer, wiping the excess on my arms. Erza walked up to me, rubbing her stomach and wiping the cake crumbs away.

"What are you looking at… oh." Erza noticed Yukino, who still wore that passive expression.

I shrugged. "I have no clue what's goin' on with her."

Erza smiled. "How about you try your Magic Cards and find out?" I rolled my eyes at that comment. Apparently, Mira had this theory about our little Celestial Mage having a crush on someone at the guild. Since she doesn't say much, we really don't know who it is.

"I'm gonna really try and find out this time…" I stated. It was about time someone talked to her about this! Maybe me and the girls can set her up for a date—

Then my train of thoughts crashed.

"What's the matter, Cana?" Erza asked, and looked over to the guild doors opening, revealing Natsu, Happy, and Lucy, a bit worn out from their quest but all the same.

I stood up, downed the rest of the bottle, and rushed over to Yukino. I had a certain _question_ I had to ask her.

Yukino didn't notice me coming by until she could smell the booze I breathed. Her eyes widened a fraction, but her face didn't show much emotion.

"C-Cana-sama?" She questioned. Yukino, despite how many times we said so, still formally addressed people with high respect. Not sure why to someone like me, though.

I leaned down and poked her cheek. "I know your _secret, _Yukino Aguria~" I whispered. This time, her eyes bugged out, and she almost blushed. I smirked. "You…" I could sense Erza coming up next to us, also wanting to know.

"You like Natsu, don't you Yukino?" Snap! Yukino's indifferent façade broke for a second, and _boy did she blush_. Poor girl almost squealed if her mouth wasn't covered by her hands. She looked timidly up at me and Erza (we probably looked pretty triumphant right then).

After a while of silence between us, she finally gave in and nodded. I just wanted to ruffle her hair right there and then. Of course I did.

"H-How did you know…?" Yukino asked. I took out a Magic Card and waved it around my face.

"Just kidding! I didn't use magic, I just saw it; in your eyes. The way you stared at Natsu walking in; it kind of clued me in. No wonder you come every day! Why not just join the guild and ask the poor guy out?" I hiccuped and shook my already-empty bottle. "He needs a girlfriend, eh, Erza?" I looked at my redhead companion, who was looking apologetic.

"W-Was there something I missed here?" I asked dumbly.

Yukino's head lowered. Were those sniffles? I crouched down to rub her back. "What's the matter, hun?"

The clink of Erza's armor from crossing her arms turned my head up. "Don't you realize?" She interrogated, looking angrily down at me. "She _can't_."

Yukino's crying became more apparent. "N-Natsu-sama has… Lucy-sama… I-I can't just force my way in…" My eyes doubled in size. How could I have forgotten? Those two were always the happy couple, without the whole "romantic relationship" thing.

Yukino's large, brown, teary eyes gazed into mine. My old drunken heart just broke then and there. In her eyes was like a mix of sorrow, pain, regret, and a broken heart. What was I supposed to say to make her feel better? How the hell does "unrequited love" work?

I tried looking up at Erza for advice, but her eyes were elsewhere. I couldn't see them, but I knew she was staring at Gray, who was walking by. Why? What were in her eyes? Were they the same as Yukino's?

**_They say eyes are the window to the soul…_**

**(I actually have a thing for NatsuxYukino shhhh)  
**


	26. Day 26

**Finished 21-40! I'm gonna be working on 41-60 now. =333 **

**Disclaimer- I don't own anytHING.**

Day 26: Reflection

There was no way I was gonna sleep, and a man needs his sleep! Waking up from a dream like _that_? How could I face Nee-san? I decided to rush off for the night to where the guys were, since they might've understood better.

My heart still pounded from the dream. Fresh sweat coated my body, but I ignored the feel so I could make it to Lucy's apartment. Man! Why do they stay there all the time? At least Lucy's gone on some mission for rent money.

A couple minutes later, I reached her apartment and climbed up the stairs and to the door, which I was too excited to knock on, and just kicked it down. Immediately, the sound woke the three guys up.

Happy flew up first. "E-E-Elfman?_!_?_!_"

After we got all settled in, the guys asked me what was going on.

"Man! I had a dream just earlier! I don't understand it!"

Natsu and Gray exchanged looks, and then looked at me. Natsu asked, "What was it?" I immediately turned pink.

"I-It's kind of… um…"

Gray got impatient. "Just say it!"

"It was about Evergreen!"

It got really quiet after that. Happy was giving me a coy smirk, and I really wanted to smash that look off his face.

Slowly, Gray asked, "What was happening?"

I shifted in my spot on the floor. "W-Well… nothing really… she was just smiling at me and," I coughed. "Huggin' me… Man!" I held my face in my hands. This was too embarrassing!

Natsu laughed. "I guess you really like her, eh? That's why you're dreamin' about her, after all. You don't just dream about someone like that if they weren't important to you, right Gray?" The pink-haired man looked over to the Ice Mage, but Gray was quiet.

I stared at Gray. His head was turned away, and his hand covered his mouth. Hell, his face was redder than mine!

"Somethin' the matter, Gray?" I asked.

"N-Nuthin'."

Natsu crossed his arms and chuckled. "I bet Gray had a dream, too! I kept hearin' him say something in his sleep! Something like… 'Er-Er-' something. I forget what exactly." He rubbed his head.

Gray got redder. "It's nothing, Idiot Salamander!"

Then I started hollering. "WAHAHA! MAN! Just tell the truth, like I did!"

"Yeah, now you know you definitely like Evergreen!"

**_…your dreams are a reflection of your thoughts…_**


	27. Day 27

**I'm loving all this hype on the April animes~ I've been watching Suisei no Gargantia and Arata Kangatari. There's Karneval too, but I'm already all caught up with the manga... Karneval reminds me a lot of Pandora Hearts. Isn't it similar?**

**Anyways, here's the chapter~ **

Day 27: Mirrors

Erza was nervous about coming to the guild that day. Erza spent all night trying to decide whether or not she should just confess her feelings already. She decided she would once she saw him the next day. After taking many deep breaths, Erza opened the doors to the guild. Her stomach knotted when she quickly caught Gray's eye from across the room.

"Time to do this fast, Scarlet…" she whispered to herself. She charged over to Gray, who was also walking towards her.

"I have something to say" "I need to tell you something" they said at the same time. They looked at each other with dubious eyes.

Erza then said, "Let's go outside."

After a short walk through Magnolia, the two thought it was time to say what they've been meaning to say.

It was pretty comical. At the exact same time, the two Fairy Tail Mages confessed their feelings to each other.

"Wait, so…"

"You mean…"

"YOU ACTUALLY LIKE ME BACK?_!_" They also exclaimed simultaneously. It took the two to slow down and comprehend what was happening here. Both sported furious red blushes.

Gray spoke first. "Uhm… so… we… like each other?"

Erza replied, "It appears so…" She was waiting for something to happen. What was supposed to happen? What were they supposed to say? How would they resolve this? Her thoughts were going a mile a minute, but her mouth stayed closed. Gray shyly tried to take her hand, and Erza made no move to reject it. Their palms touched.

Gray leaned his face closer to Erza's. The emotions they wanted to express controlled their actions. Erza moved her head upward to meet Gray's lips.

They kissed in perfect harmony.

**_…but who is the mirror to your heart?_**


	28. Day 28

Day 28: Breeze

Erza stretched out her sore, stiff muscles. She cracked her back, knuckles, and exhaled in relief. She just came back from a weeklong mission that left her with two arms, a membership to a musical bar, and sixteen (and counting) colorblind field mice. It was a good day for her.

The best part of it was that the guild was very quiet that day. Natsu, Lucy, and Wendy were out on a mission. This left her time to relax, or so the scarlet mage thought.

"Hey, Erza. Welcome back." Gray called out and waved at the woman. Erza wondered if he noticed Juvia off to the side, swooning over his bare back.

"Gray…" she started, but the Ice Mage interrupted her with a question.

"Um, Erza," Gray began, looking doubtful, "do you feel a breeze?" That earned him a lovely red handprint on his skin.

**Short and derpy. For Sarah, who needs some cheering up. :) **


	29. Day 29

**Something to get you through the weekend~ I've been writing more of these, so it should be good. Review :3**

Day 29: Morbid

"Gray! You ready to go?" The Ice Mage, dressed in a plain black t-shirt and nice jeans, took off from his seat at the table in the Fairy Tail bar to go meet up with his date, Erza, who stood by the doors.

She wore a simple, green, long flannel with a white undershirt and capris. Her hair was off in a side braid, and she carried a small purse. Gray loved seeing her dressing like this; it gave him a feeling of normality; at least, a normality that doesn't involve slaying dragons or taking down mountains. He felt extremely exhilarated to be able to go on a date to the movies with the girl he liked.

"I'll be paying for the date this time, Erza. I still have some jewel left over." He insisted. Erza smirked and wagged her finger.

"No way. I was the one who suggested we go see this new movie."

Gray tapped a finger to his chin. "What was the movie again?" Erza fished through her purse, and took out a paper.

"_Morbid_, a horror thriller-suspense is about a girl who is the reincarnate of the granddaughter of a famous mafia boss. Her body gets possessed by the reincarnated soul, and takes revenge on the other reincarnates of the gang who killed her grandfather." Erza read with an eerie voice. Gray shivered, which was an unusual feeling for an Ice Mage like him. Natsu teased him about being a pussy, which made him more determined than ever to watch the movie.

"Let's go!" Gray announced. Right as he opened the doors, there on the doorstep of the Fairy Tail guild stood a tall, skinny figure.

Gray had every right to scream at it. The figure was a young woman, most likely in her twenties, wearing a long, gray dress that seemed to cover every inch of her pale, ghost-like skin. Her choppy, uneven dark hair covered most of her face. When Gray took a closer look, he saw that her two eyes seemed similar to black voids, and her defined cheek bones made her face seem sunken, like a skeleton. What was worst of all was the way she held a hand to her thin, wide smile.

Before anything was said, she started to shake; she was cackling. She had to hold her whole body to keep from falling over. The sound of her voice made the guild members' ears scream in horror. After a minute or so, the woman stopped and seemed to look Gray dead in the eye.

"Heehehee… may I enter…? Heheehe…" She requested between her fits of amusement. Everyone seemed to sit in silence, waiting for the first one to scream. No sound was emitted.

The woman shrugged, and strolled in regardless. She gave smug looks and sarcastic smiles to them all, and no one had a chance to run away to pee. It was like she had magic to petrify their faces and cease their judgment.

"Excuse me? Heehee… do you mind… heehee… if I asked for some coffee? Heehee…" The woman's first victim was Mira, who was frozen in an icy, fake smile.

"Sorry… we don't have coffee at the moment… maybe someplace else?" Mira gripped the side of the counter.

The woman looked downcast. "Aww… I was so looking forward to trying some… maybe next time… heehee… you can try some of _my_ coffee? It has a… heehee… unique flavor… heehee… it could even… heheehee… blow your mind, ne?~" Mira froze, eyes wide.

Score one for the creepy woman. Next, she walked over to Wakaba, Macao, and Cana. Each slow step made a creaking sound under the pressure of her foot. It was like she made an effort to use every noise stepping on the wooden floor to her advantage. It surely worked on them.

"Is that… heehee… alcohol? And a cigarette? Heehehee…" The woman screaked. All three visibly twitched.

Cana uttered, "Yeah, so what?" The woman's face grew dark.

"Heehee… it's just that… I know quite a few people… who were involved in many… _unfortunate_ accidents… involving their alcohol, and a pipe. I just… thought it… heeheehe… rather amusing. Heheehehehe," The woman leaned her head on her hand, which was propped by the elbow on Cana's table. "Some said the alcohol tasted _just like _my coffee… silly, no? I never heard from those who smoked after their… _accidents._ Things around their houses got very, _hot_, you know? Such a bad cough, _poor things_."

Score two. Fairy Tail wondered how much more they could take of the agony. Wherever the woman went, promises of death seemed to tail along.

Finally, she made her way towards Gray and Erza. The line that was supposedly her mouth stretched right from ear to ear. Her hands were held behind her back, and the cackling grew worse. Erza squeezed Gray's arm. He wasn't sure if it was for his sake or hers.

"Ah, such a _nice_ couple," The woman circled around them.

"What do you want at Fairy Tail?_!_" Gray confronted. "Who are you?_!_" The woman looked at him with wide, seemingly innocent eyes, and cocked her head to the side.

"You don't know who I am? Heheehe… how silly of me to boldly come in and converse with you without a mutual understanding. I," the woman seemed to teleport closer to Erza and Gray. "am a wicked ghost." For a split second, Gray thought he saw her remove some sort of mask on her face. Underneath, a wretched demon was revealed. He wasn't sure if this was an illusion, but he knew he wouldn't be getting sleep for the next few weeks. After he blinked, the woman was gone. Not a trace of her, except for the draft coming through the front doors.

Behind him, Erza hugged Gray's torso. This was when he noticed his heart racing from the adrenaline and fear, no doubt. Gray's head turned around to speak to Erza.

"Um, Erza? Let's go see an animal movie instead?"


	30. Day 30

Day 30: Murder

Before I could completely recover from unconsciousness, a shrill noise overtook the area. My ears rang with the annoying dog-whistle tone. My senses fogged up, and everything seemed so far away, like a dream.

No wonder what I saw next seemed so impossible.

Once I could get my eyes to focus somewhat, I saw a mass of red hair clutching her side on the ground. The ringing wouldn't stop in my left ear, and I could barely hear any of the muffled shrieks and carnage.

Still, once I recognized her, my eyes seemed to double despite the dizziness. I looked at the person standing next to her, who was holding a seven-inch blade decorated with blood in her hands. The figure was crouched, but the devilish smile that mirrored her satisfaction at injuring her was blindingly bright, even for me.

I couldn't hold it in any longer. I went for her.

. . .

Whatever happened after that was like another memory, not one of mine. All I remember from that day was crouching over the person, holding her by the hair, and screaming rage and harsh words.

I think I almost beat the person to death for stabbing her.

What finally stopped me was her. The wound she carried was still threatening to bleed through her hands, but she crawled her way over to where we were. I remember hot tears blinding me. My voice was hoarse. My body ached.

She stopped me from murdering that person.

_"Gray, please… just stop… stop! You're going to kill her! Just stop! I refuse to have you commit murder for me, Gray Fullbuster!"_

In the end, she had to pin me down to make me stop. Her tears were bound to fall out as well. She just kept looking at me with some kind of disappointed sadness. Or maybe it was something else.

In the end, it was too much on her body with her injuries to support herself. She fell on top of me. And neither of us moved for a long time.

**I'm sorry about this.**

**Here's an update, though?**

**(maybethenextonewillmakeituptoyou)**


	31. Day 31

**Disclaimer- Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail.**

Day 31: Sacred

The three girls took their seats in the sitting room of the temple. The eldest blew on her cup of jasmine tea.

"Sister Ivy, do you think couples would visit today? It _is _a day for your _special someone_, after all." The youngest of the three asked, then blushed and stared at her hakama-covered knees.

The middle Sister waved the youngest off. "Of course there will be some couples! Nothing's exciting as love to those people, huh, Sister Ivy?" She looked towards the head of the shrine.

"Of course. It will be an exciting, sacred day for all couples, it seems." She finally responded, staring into her now-empty tea cup.

. . .

Once the bluenette said her goodbyes on the phone, she snapped it shut and immediately made her way to her two friends, with one thing on her mind. She skidded to a stop in front of the classroom, and made her way inside where the other bluenette and redhead awaited her.

"Levy-san! Erza-san! I just got the news from Lyon-sama!" Juvia waved her pink cellphone in the air, along with the cute charms of her favorite characters. Her friends looked at her, intrigued. Levy fiddled with her red glasses, while Erza's blush became more apparent by the second.

Before they killed her for holding out on them, Juvia finally announced, "Gajeel-kun and Gray-sama-kun agreed to come! We're going to a shrine after school today~!" Her smile could not get any wider, and she gladly took Levy's offered hug. Erza's eyes sparkled.

"Good, I'm glad our wishes didn't go to waste. If they did…" Erza's face went dark with bloody murder, which Levy and Juvia tried to ignore.

Levy turned to her friend. "So... Gajeel-kun is actually coming?" Her shy blush was so obvious; Juvia could barely hold back her squealing. She nodded vigorously, which left the bookworm relieved.

Erza moved closer to them. "Of course he agreed to come. You two have been having a thing going on, the trip to the shrine could test your bonds and see if you're ready for a relationship!" The redhead cooed. Levy merely blushed harder and squirmed in her seat.

"Juvia thinks Levy-san can do it! Levy-san must be bold, like Juvia! That's how Juvia got Lyon-sama, of course~" She giggled and bounced in her seat. Erza and Levy laughed, remembering how Lyon fell for her at first. It was a long, bumpy road, but in the end, Juvia girled up and asked him out herself.

Erza reveled in her friends' happiness. She couldn't wait, either. Gray was going to be there, of course. She hoped the shrine could give her enough courage to ask him out already.

. . .

Gajeel kicked the dirt road. Hands stuffed in his pockets, collar popped up, wild hair tied back, Gajeel was getting antsy just being in the situation. He already broke his toothpick in half by grinding his impatience into it.

"How much fuckin' time does it take to do hair or makeup or some shit?" Gajeel complained to the other two boys standing by him. Lyon checked his phone once again.

"We're in the right spot. Juvia-chan said they'd meet us here to start walking." Lyon stared at the conversation they had, becoming slightly distracted.

"I knew this was a damn mistake." Gajeel spat on the ground. Gray groaned, wishing he brought his iPod to drone his voice out.

"_What_ was a 'damn mistake', as you put it, Gajeel-san?" A threatening voice cut in. The three boys turned their heads to see Erza, Juvia, and Levy dressed in casual outfits, looking smug. Erza stood in the front as the one who made the comment.

"You chicks take too long." He clarified, holding malice in his tone as he started walking towards the shrine.

Lyon tried to laugh it off and said, "W-Well, I guess we're going, then. Juvia-chan?" The silver-haired boyfriend held out his arm, and the happy couple went on their way.

Levy rolled her eyes and took out a piece of paper. "If Gajeel-kun's going to be leading, he better not get lost. I'll help him read the map." She sighed, and ran up to the front, leaving Erza with Gray in the very back.

Gray stretched out his arms. "Let's get going, then, Scarlet." Erza smiled and stuck close to him, enjoying the day even with the hot weather.

Before they even reached the temple, a syrupy woman of about twenty years of age dressed in a long, red, pleated skirt topped with a white _haori_ skipped over to them, waving her arms and letting her black topknot bounce somewhat aggressively. Gajeel's first reaction was to puke right then, but Lyon cut him off by responding.

"Are you visitors? Hello, I'm Sister Mayoi. Welcome to our shrine!" She introduced, and then proceeded to curve her lips in a most unnatural smile. Lyon faltered slightly, but continued on.

Eloquently, he introduced himself and his friends. Then, he asked that they could visit the shrine and spend some of their oh-so-valuable-time there. Mayoi agreed to Lyon's charisma, and led them into the shrine where the lead Sister could speak with them.

The group of six crouched at the table, while Mayoi began preparations with the others. Juvia took it into her hands to begin a conversation before the awkward silence ruined the event.

"I wonder what they're preparing for us Levy-san!" She smiled and tried to laugh. Levy took this cry for help. They somehow stirred up some small talk that eased the air.

All of a sudden, a door was loudly pushed open, and a young girl walked out. She wore a long, red hakama similar to Mayoi's skirt. Her light brown hair was pulled back in a stylish bun, and she looked to be about twelve years old. She ran past them holding a toilet cleaner.

Erza did a double take. Did she actually witness that?

Mayoi came again, breathing heavily. "I-I'm so sorry for her! That's my niece, Penny. Sh-She's pretty adamant about making sure our facilities are clean. Especially the toilets. When she heard you were here, she ran off."

Off to the side, Gajeel mumbled something about weird little girls, which caused Levy to give him a scolding look. Gray and Erza both shared a perplexed reaction.

Juvia's eyes seemed to sparkle. "How considerate of Penny-san!" She stood up and bounced to emphasize her compassion. Lyon blushed and murmured to himself,

"J-Juvia-chan… you never take anyone for granted…"

Mayoi rubbed her neck. "Um… We're really sorry about this. How about Sister Ivy and I take you first to be cleaned, then we shall take you to the shrine and bless you wonderful couples! We have lunch, too. Burgers! How about that for shrine maidens?"

With that, the boys and girls were separated between baths. The shrine maidens, obviously, did not attend to the men, but they took their duty in washing the girls' backs.

Levy, Erza, and Juvia met the eldest Sister, Sister Ivy. Her hair was dark, and she wore a pale complexion. Her outfit had a red hakama instead of the skirt. The steam coated the girls' cheeks with a layer of red. No one bothered to say a word, too enveloped in the serenity.

Unable to overcome her curiosity, Mayoi asked, "So, those guys are your boyfriends? You gonna pray for love, huh?" She flashed a grin. As if it couldn't get warmer in there, Levy, Juvia, and Erza's face boomed with red blood underneath skin.

Levy fell over into the bath, but thankfully was saved by Sister Ivy. "W-W-Well… um yeah. Sort of. Well, not really. You see, Juvia's the only one with a legitimate boyfriend here. Erza can't seem to let Gray know how much she wants him," That earned her a deadly glare. "And…. Well, I-I don't know about me." Levy buried her face in her small palms, ashamed of her confusion.

Juvia quickly came to the rescue. "H-Hold on, Levy-san! You mustn't be so down on yourself! Juvia was brokenhearted, remember? Juvia believed there was no other but Gray-sama-kun for her. Juvia was at her lowest, but she had hope in Lyon-sama! She was persistent in believing in him! Juvia was able to love again!" She chanted. Levy stared up at the girl, mesmerized by the intensity of the situation.

Mayoi giggled. "I see. Levy-san, I suggest you pray for a positive shift in your relationship with Gajeel-san. Juvia-san, you seem to be happy with your man. Keep him close." She smiled. Meanwhile, Erza continued to sulk silently in the corner. Sister Ivy waded over to her, and then crouched down to help her with bathing.

"So you haven't been able to speak up?"

"…" Erza hesitated. She had only just met this Ivy, but she seemed so peaceful and trustworthy. "I don't really know why I've been acting like this. I think about saying so many things to him, but once I try to say anything, it's like an unconscious filter over my words. I end up running away, leaving him bewildered. You have no idea how many times I had to regret my words, or lack thereof. It's killing me. Holding it all in. Telling him feels impossible. But if I don't eventually, I'm going to explode. What if he falls in love with someone else? What will happen to all the things I couldn't say, the things I should've said? Would it slowly consume me until the day I decide enough is enough? I don't know. It's hard to understand anything anymore. I don't even know why I'm telling you all of this."

Sister Ivy rubbed circles into the back of Erza's bare back. She had seen too much pain in passersby.

. . .

Gajeel rubbed his ear with the towel, hoping to get the water out. His damp hair was pulled back, still dripping on the back of his loose, white t-shirt and dark pants. Lyon mussed his hair with a towel, sending droplets askew. Gray's arms were crossed. Both Gray and Lyon's shirts were still unaccounted for. The boys just returned from bathing, and they attempted to enjoy the silence.

Once Gray, Lyon, and Gajeel made it outside, they found themselves face to face with a small girl, otherwise known as Penny. Her clothes seemed a bit messier, and she still held a toilet cleaner in her hand.

"The facilities are clean! Feel free to go whenever you need to!" She seemed to be staring into their eyes, waiting for a response.

Gray felt pity for the girl, and knowing that Gajeel would only say something sarcastic, he decided to give her some comfort. "Thank you, Penny, was it? We'll be honored to use the restroom when we need to go." Penny seemed to blush at him, and skipped not too far away, taking a seat at the table.

The boys exchanged looks, but decided to follow her anyway.

Penny leaned her elbows on the table, and her eyes grew three times her size. "So… the girls are, _special_ to you, right?"

Lyon, the only boyfriend in the room, nodded furiously with an exhilarated flush. "Yes! Juvia-chan is my love! She is most likely the most special person in my life." Gray was shocked at his ability to say it so bluntly, and Gajeel scoffed at the 'prince charming'. Penny nodded and "ahh"-ed.

She then turned to the larger, long-haired man. "How about you? Who's your… _important girl?_" Gajeel didn't mean to, but when he heard the question his mind immediately went to a scrawny nerd in red glasses.

"Maybe. What's it to you?" His red eyes looked down on Penny's brown.

She pouted and huffed. "You shouldn't make it so unclear, you know. Some girls like mystery, but sooner or later she'll feel like you're leading her on. You can't do that!" Gajeel's brows twitched upward.

Penny then turned her head to the last one. He was currently cringing in his seat, but that would not save him from the curious preteen. "And you, droopy eyes?" For some reason that nickname made Gray want to punch something.

Still, he knew she wouldn't relent without a legitimate answer. Gray sighed and tousled his hair a bit. "Ah, all right, fine. I've got my eye on someone, sure. I was just waiting for the right time, is all." Penny perked up at this.

"How about after you worship at the shrine! Surely luck in love will help you reach her!" Penny's bun bounced around, and her fingers tensed on the table. Gray blushed very lightly and rolled his eyes.

"Stupid…"

. . .

"Let us go to the shrine now." Sister Ivy proclaimed. The couples (official or unofficial) made their way up the wide steps to where they would pray.

Lyon allowed himself to be dragged up by the hand by his blue-haired girlfriend. He looked down at his hand, the very hand that enveloped hers. Lyon cherished the warmth Juvia gave off. He never received much warmth in his past, and just having the feeling of _her_ warmth kept his entire being alive.

Lyon prayed for Juvia's flame to never extinguish as long as he was with her. Which would be forever.

Levy had wanted to hold Gajeel's hand, but he simply brushed off the small girl. However, he allowed her to walk close by him. Levy looked up at him. He sported a serious face, but somehow, Levy believed it was different. He didn't say anything. He didn't try to get away from her. He just accepted her.

Levy prayed for more feelings of acceptance in the future. Step by step, she would get closer to Gajeel.

Gray's hand hung so suspiciously close to Erza's, both could feel sparks between their fingertips. Neither advanced forward. Erza's heart began to race. Her head would soon be cluttered with unspoken thoughts. Gray was worried what she thought. Was he a friend? Or could he become something more?

Erza prayed to be able to speak her mind. About Gray, to him.

Gray prayed to be able to know what Erza thought. If she felt the same way.

Once they finished, Gray and Erza caught each other's anxious eye. The air around them froze, but their hearts ran quickly. Erza could no longer wait.

"G-Gray…" she reached out for his hand. Before he realized this, Gray took her outstretched hand and pulled her in for a kiss. It was firm and entirely fulfilling. Erza's heart stopped altogether.

After a few seconds went by, Gray released her. "I'm sorry, Erza, I just—"

Erza cut him off with a second kiss, which told him of her feelings. Both of them smiled during the kiss. The sacred shrine saved them.

With that, Ivy, Penny, and Mayoi left the couples to their own devices. They all grinned knowingly at each other, as if it was some sort of inside joke. The shrine did its job.

**This one took me a while to write. Hopefully the update in a couple of weeks will be good!**


	32. Day 32

Day 32: Hollow

"_Get out of my house, Gray Fullbuster!"_ Crash! Slam! Silence.

Erza heavily groaned and fell back on her couch, letting strips of red fly wherever fate allowed them. Her head rained frustration, and she could already detect the splitting headache. She rarely ever fought with her boyfriend, Gray, seriously like just earlier. It was usually just a conflict of power, or a small disagreement.

The fight just then left her drained and exhausted. It was more serious than the others, and she knew that they both became very defensive. One thing led to another, and she ended up chasing him out with a flying flower pot. Erza kept replaying the fight in her head. Every harsh word she uttered, every snappy retort he made, every glare and gesture; it came back to her like she was watching a movie. And she kept rewinding.

At first, she was arrogant and stubborn. Erza refused to believe that she was in the wrong. She was an S-Class Mage, and a natural born leader. The very idea was preposterous.

Yet, after she brooded over it some more, she began to see faults in her argument. She picked at each word she said, and she began to second-guess herself. It left Erza with a feeling of guilt. She was wrong.

_Erza Scarlet_

_Was_

_Wrong._

Erza let her hands fall to her face, and she began to groan and moan. She twisted around on the couch until she was comfortable enough on her stomach to mentally berate herself some more.

"I can't believe I said all those things to Gray! And kick him out, for good measure! I'm such an idiot. Why did my stupid ego get in the way? Things like this don't usually happen to me. Why didn't I have good judgment when I needed it?" Erza squirmed and twisted her body on the couch, and kept her hands on her face. "He'll never forgive me. Who would? I was unnecessarily cruel. Who'd want me back? Not me. I'm such an idiot!"

Once Erza finally calmed down, she lifted her brown orbs to the bare white ceiling of the room. The argument echoed in her head until it dulled her other senses. Her breathing slowed, her eyes became half-lidded, and she barely wished to lift a finger. It was an empty feeling. Regret and anger left her. The one thing that could possibly heal her left the house in a fit of rage. It was hollowing in her heart. It was as if she could no longer feel, and Erza despised it. She hated feeling like nothing, and she would do anything to feel something again.

Problem was that she felt too hollow to move. Like a wooden doll.

. . .

"Yes, and then—" Mirajane Strauss leaned over the counter to listen more closely to her green haired companion's story. Freed was telling her about an interesting adventure he had with Bixlow and Evergreen when Gray walked in and disoriented them with his odd attitude.

Freed rubbed his chin. "I wonder what's happening with him? I haven't seen Gray so down since he had cold feet with confessing to Erza." Mira narrowed her eyes.

"I bet she's also the reason for his depressing state now. Let's investigate, Freed. Erza's not with him, isn't that already suspicious?" Mira walked around the counter to go catch up with Gray, whose forehead seemed to be glued to the table. Freed followed suit, albeit reluctantly.

Mira pulled the long-haired Raijinshou member next to her as she sat down across Gray in the booth. "Gray. Gray. _Gray_." Mira repeated to try and gain his attention. He didn't move, but the Ice Make Mage grunted to let her know that he was listening.

"What happened with Erza?" Mirajane asked. Freed widened his eyes. He wasn't expecting the blue-eyed beauty to become so blunt with him. However, it had surprising results.

Gray shot his head up, and glared daggers at the S-Class bartender. "What makes you think—"

"Isn't it obvious?" Gray was silent after that. Freed thought it was his time to shuffle into the conversation.

"What we're saying, Gray, is that we noticed that you don't look all too good. We were hoping to help you, if you'd be willing to tell us what happened." After persistent glares and a few threats from the resident sweetheart, Gray relented. He told them everything prior to the argument, and then the actual argument that lead to his banishment.

"Why do I get the feeling that it's all my fault somehow?" Gray wondered. Mira stretched her hand across the table as a sign of comfort.

"It's not anyone's fault. Couples fight all the time. People tend to when they're in love, huh, Freed?" Mira smiled and looked back at Freed, who merely nodded with a faint blush.

"She already kicked me out, anyways. I can't go back."

Mirajane shook her head. "I know you're used to things being one-sided," The black-haired boy's grimace became obvious. "but in this situation, I wouldn't be shocked to discover that Erza too is feeling guilty. She takes great responsibility in being a mature leader, so failure gets to her. Especially things like this. So no, Gray. This is probably not one-sided (for once)."

"…Should I go back and talk to her?" Gray timidly looked up, fearful of her response.

Mira smiled down at him. She hoped to reassure him somehow. "It would probably be best. Erza could be worse off than you, so she'd need some attention soon. Go and talk to her, Gray!" Gray's empty, hopeless heart filled.

There was hope to fix the problems they encountered. There would always be hope.

**By the time you're reading this, it will most likely be my birthday! May the 4th be with you~ Here's something for y'all.**


	33. Day 33

**Here you go! Review, please~**

Day 33: Departed

I remember I told her about it a long time ago. She was about to turn eighteen, and I was just seventeen. I told her about how, when I was young, I made my parents' grave. How we ever came on to the topic slipped my mind. I remember how she stared at me for a long time. She knew the bodies were never recovered, but I didn't really care about that. I just wanted a place to be able to recall them.

Then, one day, came the anniversary of their death. I was going to go alone for the trip, but Erza insisted that she joined me. She wanted to visit my parents.

I stood by the train station. The sleeves of my black suit were a bit rough, but I only wore this once a year, anyways. My heart was always a bit heavier at this time in the year. I've mostly gotten over it, but the memories of that day would resurface, and it hurt to think of those times.

A hand on my shoulder brought me back to the present. I looked down at one redhead woman. Her outfit surprised me. She wore a long, black dress with a black sweater. Her hands were gloved, but I could still feel the heat resonating through the fabric. It reassured me to see her smiling face.

"Let's go, Gray."

We strode through the long, flowing grass that rolled across the low hills. Our fingertips bounced around each other like electricity. I wanted to hold her hand so much. But I was a coward and it might not have been a good time. Still, the thought lingered in my mind.

Soon, we reached the bare patch of land where I placed a large rock a long time ago. On it, I carved my parents' names with Ul's help. I stopped in front of it, and let my head hang. I sensed Erza's brown eyes on my person. She stayed silent, and crouched down to where the grave marker was. The wind blew dust and debris into my eyes, and they provoked tears to form. When I heard Erza saying something, I lifted my head slightly.

She held her hand to the rock, and pressed her forehead against it as well. "Hello, my name is Erza. I'm Gray's friend. Thank you for raising him. He's a wonderful friend of mine. You should be very proud of him. Gray has always been there for me, since I met him all those years ago. Today, I decided to repay the debt I owed him," Erza inhaled. She seemed to stutter out something else, but I couldn't tell what she said. It was a low whisper, but I guessed it was something I wasn't meant to hear, anyways.

After a while, she finally stood up and turned to me. Her eyes were glassy, and the corners were red. I inhaled sharply and quickly when I saw her. She still wore a smile on her face.

My eyes began to blur with water. I quickly moved to dab them, but Erza caught my hand instead. I stared down at both her hands trapping mine. I followed up the arm until I saw her, but it all seemed too fast.

"Erza…"

"It's okay, Gray. To cry." I nodded quickly, and continued to look at her kind, understanding irises. She released one of her hands, but her other hand only dug deeper into mine, filling the spaces between each digit.

I looked up at her once again, a questioning look plastered across my face. Erza's smile only got larger, which made my heart flutter, as girly as that sounded. We turned again to my parents' makeshift "grave", said our last goodbyes, and departed.


	34. Day 34

Day 34: Heart

It had been a long night. They got back at around 12:30am from the mission, and their bodies ached, as if someone brought a bat to every joint and ligament, and painted the pain with blue and black.

Gray was already shirtless and in his boxers. Once he reached his room, his back fell towards the comfort of pillows and the support of his mattress. His relieved groan was let out, and he closed his heavy eyes. Still, for some reason, Gray could not sleep. For a while, he sat there, wondering why.

The reason was currently drying off her hair in a towel, coming out of the shower. Her scarlet strands, tousled and damp, flared over the green tank top she wore. She tossed the towel in the corner of the room, and then climbed into bed with Gray.

Gray felt her pull a blanket over the two of them. She leaned in close, and wrapped his arm around her form because he was too fatigued to do it himself. Neither said a word, but they both sighed in content at each other's touch.

Erza's cheek was on Gray's chest, corner of her lips nearly kissing the tough skin. He could feel her hot breath drifting across his chest, and somehow, he felt it around his neck. It was wonderful. His fingers rubbed the side of her hips, and relished in its soft texture.

Erza's free arm, meanwhile, was draped over the rest of Gray's torso, grabbing his arm on the other side. His muscular abdomen rose up and down, up and down, in a rhythmic pattern that cleared her head. She allowed her legs to tangle under the blanket with his in a very possessive manner. It felt so secure when she did that.

Both could hear the faint mumbling of their hearts. The heart is life, it is proof of its capacity to feel and empathize. It is proof that one is not alone.

For Gray and Erza… the heartbeat was a lullaby that tied their souls together.

And to that tune they could fall asleep.

***tries to be romantic* *fails to be romantic***

**I feel like I haven't updated in a while, so here! I really need to write more for this... I'm worried that it'll catch up. Not even halfway done with 41-60 yet! And I still have my other story that I haven't updated in like a month (shit)...**


	35. Day 35

**I tried! Review, if you could!**

Day 35: Dirt

I was twelve years old when I experienced my first defeat.

Mirajane Strauss, AKA Demon Mirajane.

She slammed me into the dusty ground. The sediment flew up, and landed in my mouth and eyes. I coughed and squeezed my eyes shut. It burned, but not as much as my anger was. A fist formed on my hand, and I slammed the floor. Mirajane cackled and pranced away.

I started to mutter to myself… the taste of the dirt was not what I wanted to relive. For a long time, I did not move. My hair twisted and mixed with the gravel below me. I never wanted to move.

"Oi. Erza."

It was shameful. I was a feared and respected warrior of the guild! Master said I could even requip armor.

"Erza!"

Then this tramp came skipping by in her dark outfit and scheming smile. How dare she…

"ERZA SCARLET!"

My heart lurched, and I looked up to see who tried to shout my full name and get away with it. No surprise who the offender it was.

"Your shorts are actually on today, but you forgot a shirt, Gray." The Ice Mage became flustered, but he quickly regained his state of mind.

"I'm not here to talk about my sketchy habits, okay? What are you doing on the ground, Erza? I saw Mirajane while I was walking—"

I held my hand up, "Stop. I hate that girl." Gray was silent for a while.

When he finally spoke up, he said, "She beat you, didn't she?" I picked at the forming scabs on my elbows.

I didn't reply.

Gray sighed. "Erza, stand up," I shook my head. "_Erza. Stand up_." I shook my head faster. All of a sudden, he bent down and grabbed me by my exposed shoulders. He shook me, which made my eyes snap upward.

"What_?_!" I stared at Gray's dark orbs. He looked rather concerned, which only made me feel worse about myself. "S-Stop looking at me like that, Gray."

"Get yourself off the ground, Erza! You shouldn't be like this! You can't just give up and live your life in the dirt just because one girl beat you down! This is where you get stronger, Erza. She's a rival, you know? Mirajane could help you get stronger. I've had to get used to the taste of dirt from my rival. That's just the way things are. But, you see, that only makes me want to get stronger. I wanted him to taste the dirt once I beat him."

Gray's eyes were firey, which was ironic for the Ice Mage. I had never seen such a look on his face before. It was inspiring.

"…Thanks. Sorry about that. I guess she just got to my head." I let Gray grab my hand to pull me up again.

**Oh, and the "rival" Gray was talking about is Lyon. This was before Natsu came.**


	36. Day 36

Day 36: New

Gray couldn't believe his eyes. He lost his breath at the sight.

Erza paraded through the guild in a new aura. Her demeanor seemed so different from before. He was shocked at her change. It was uplifting. His heart swelled with pride.

Maybe their talk helped her some? It made him blush to think of what he did.

"Not bad, Erza." He smiled to himself.

**This is so short and derpy TwT**


	37. Day 37

Day 37: Deficit

"Are you going to look for a job today too, Gray?" The fourteen year old knight asked her icy companion as they strode to their guild.

"Hell yeah! I finally got out of that cast, and I need some money." Erza smiled down at him, which made the thirteen year old twitch and blush.

Erza commented, "Maybe I'll join you for your mission." She took a sidelong view of Gray, who continued to blush horribly.

However, this euphoria was soon cut short, as once they reached the bulletin board, it was basically empty. Gray shouted, wondering how it was even possible.

Erza tapped his shoulder and pointed towards two passed out guild members. Natsu and Lisanna lay side by side. Gray inquired Wakaba for answers.

He puffed. "Ha! Those two hooligans decided to bet how many jobs they could do. Ended up drying us out!" Erza and Gray rolled their eyes.

"Still, we can't have this shortage of missions. Come on, Gray!" Erza began to drag him by the arm, to which he had no complaints.

**Okay! Reason for double update: I need some time to concentrate writing, but I can't work on that until I'm done with school and finals. So this is to hold you over until maybe next week, week after... I just need some time to finish the 20 drabbles that come after this set, which is finishing soon. 3 more to go! So, enjoy the updates! I'll see you when I'm done with all the crap~**


	38. Day 38

**As today is my last day of school, I thought I should make an update for you guys. X3 **

**So, before you go on, this fic includes a song. Go and find "A Bird's Song" by Ingrid Michaelson and play it. It'll add to the chapter very nicely, I must say~ Or, if you're on mobile, just listen to it afterwards, I guess... I don't know, it's so complicated?**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Fairy Tail, nor do I own "A Bird's Song" by Ingrid Michaelson. **

Day 38: Voice

Erza smiled down at her bloated stomach. In her womb at the moment was a child. He or she was growing, day by day, until birth. She smiled happily and rubbed the skin.

Just then, her husband ran in. "Morning, Erza. I'm just about to go on a mission, but I wanted to say goodbye before I left." He walked over, kissed her on the lips, and then bent down to kiss her navel. "Can't wait for you little bugger." He murmured. Erza chuckled at his antics.

"Just get going, Gray."

"Yes, ma'am."

Once he dropped out, the redhead sighed and reclined back in a comfortable seat. She felt useless during her seven months of pregnancy so far. She was treated exceptionally carefully because of the baby, taking off work and staying at home, but Erza just couldn't wait to find out how their child looked.

"Oh!" Erza gasped, when she felt a kick. "You're pretty strong, you know? Now I _know _you're Gray's child." She brushed her hands over the baby again.

"I wonder… Levy told me that hearing the sound of their mother's voice would calm the child. Should I try?" The lack of kicking gave Titania her answer.

Erza reached her head down to let her nose touch her stomach. She whispered, "What should I sing, then?"

_I'm sending you away tonight_

_I'll put you on a bird's strong wing_

_I'm saving you the best way I know how_

_I hope again one day to hear you sing_

_I'm saving you the only way that I know how_

_I hope again one day to hear you sing_

_I hope again one day to see you bring your smile back around again_

Erza's voice wasn't perfect. It was deeper than other girls' voices. It was awkward and choppy.

Somehow, she didn't care. If her child could sing, they'd be singing along with her. And that's what kept her going.


	39. Day 39

**One more after this, and then the second set is done. I'm... about halfway done with drabbles 41-60. It's taking some time because I'm being dragged into doing things and it's annoying me. Without further ado, some Juvia!**

Day 39: Flowing

Juvia Lockser was a girl who was always alone. Her parents abandoned her because of her curse, and she ended up taking lodge in an orphanage by a church. The rain kept others away from Juvia. Juvia tried to ignore it, but over time she could no longer go through her melancholy life.

Once Juvia turned 15, she left the orphanage. No one liked Juvia there, anyways. She set out for an adventure. Juvia taught herself water magic along the way, as only the rain would keep her company. Then, one day, as she hiked through the forest, Juvia witnessed two people walking together. They were holding hands and laughing together. She even saw them kiss! It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, and for a second, the rain that guarded Juvia lifted. As soon as she noticed, however, the water began again.

That was when Juvia realized that she needed what that couple had. She had read somewhere in a book that the feeling you get with a special person was called 'love'. For an entire year, Juvia searched for someone to love. It was difficult because of the rain, but she eventually found someone when she turned 16.

He didn't last long.

He called her gloomy. A downer. The things Juvia never wanted to be. Juvia ran off, blaming and cursing the rain as it followed her, mocking her grief.

Juvia thought the flow of love would stop there.

She was taken in by Phantom Lord as a revered S-Class Mage. While she did feel very powerful, Juvia was not treated with compassion. The men hardly saw her as a woman. Juvia made the best of it, though.

When Juvia first met Gray-sama, she felt a rush of emotions that were difficult to describe. It was similar to a bursting dam, flooding the lands with once-still water. The rain ceased, and the river flowed again.

It overwhelmed her. Juvia was enchanted for a long time.

To this day, Juvia still believes that she truly did love Gray-sama. He pulled her out of the pool of self-pity she called her life. She realized, however, that this overflowing love was not reciprocated.

Gray-sama did not love Juvia back.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Juvia already knew this. She knew he was never interested in her, but she blindly continued to try to woo him despite this. Juvia was drowning in her obsession, and the water that flowed too quickly blinded her completely. What finally cleared her vision was a redheaded Requip Mage.

It's not like Juvia didn't see it before. She just chose not to comment because she feared Erza-san. The relationship between Gray-sama and Erza-san was unbendable. It was constant and even, like how a river should be. Juvia went home that night feeling like her heart was just a raging, destructive torrent.

Juvia believed she would never get over Gray-sama. She cried for days. The only thing that made Juvia stop crying was noticing the lack of rain. She had lost the brightest spot in her life, so where were the dull skies?

Juvia thought it was time that she confronted Erza-san, the only love rival she could never beat. Juvia told her everything. The words she held back for years finally caved out, thanks to Erza-san. When Juvia looked up at her again, she only said one thing.

"Obviously, there is still love in your life. Even if it's a small trickle, there's love flowing through you right now."

Juvia was reminded of the love in others. Romantic love wasn't the only thing that kept her going. Juvia _loved_ her friends. She loved Fairy Tail, and what it stood for. She loved to stand by her nakama.

That one stream of hope in her heart became larger. Love coursed through her veins. Juvia didn't necessarily need romance in her life to see the light. With Fairy Tail, she could feel invincible.

Of course, Juvia still hopes one day she could find someone for her. Someone that could love her in every way, and in ways that no one else could love her.

"_J-Juvia-chan!"_ A shout stirred Juvia's thoughts. She looked at the man running to her, face flushed, eyes urgent, voice stuttering. She quirked up a smile.

The river flows on.

**It would be nice to see some more reviews, as people enjoy following this story. Anyways, have a nice day.**


	40. Day 40 SECOND SET: END

Day 40: Floated

"You don't know how to swim?_!_" Four Mages exclaimed to an embarrassed bluenette Dragon Slayer.

Wendy waved her hands in front of her face, trying to keep her friends back. "N-No! I know how to stay afloat and all, but I'm not that strong…" She shyly admitted.

"Eeeehhhh?_!_?" Immediately following that, Lucy and Natsu insisted on giving Wendy some lessons. Erza also wanted to teach her some of her "moves", so Gray decided to come along as well.

Lucy and Erza wore their bikinis, and Wendy shuffled to them in a one-piece. Gray and Natsu ran over in their swim shorts as well. Erza made a thumbs up gesture.

"You're going to be a great swimmer, Wendy!" A large part of Wendy's heart worried about her swim lessons today.

Natsu and Lucy took Wendy out first. Natsu was being eccentric and wild the whole time, so Lucy had to reprimand him and remind the pink haired boy that they were teaching Wendy to become a better swimmer.

"You have to move your arms and kick your legs! Like this!" Natsu grabbed Lucy's arms and made a swimming motion with them. Lucy yelped; her red face became smothered with water.

About an hour later, Lucy and Natsu traded off with Gray and Erza. Wendy noticed that they were more in sync than Natsu and Wendy. They pulled her along by each hand so she could get a feel for swimming in the deeper part of the ocean.

"There you go, Wendy. Keep kicking!" Erza encouraged.

"Don't get too excited, Erza. You're going pretty fast." Gray commented. Erza noticed and corrected herself, laughing. Wendy smiled, watching the couple interact.

"You two make a good team," Wendy giggled, receiving a fierce blush from both parties.

**Sorry about the lack of updates! I've been working on oneshots for Grayza week that I might post here on fanfiction. If you don't already know and you're interested, you can ask me if you want~ Or whatever...**

**ALSO! This is the end of the set 21-40. I believe I just finished up to Day 50, so give me a while longer until I can crank out the next set, 41-60. **

**Review?**


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